# What Happens When You Almost Die Underwater? The Lex Waters Story

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-s-your-story-with-jaime-stan-7110537/what-happens-when-you-almost-die-underwater-the-lex-waters-story
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-s-your-story-with-jaime-stan-7110537/what-happens-when-you-almost-die-underwater-the-lex-waters-story.md
Podcast: [What's Your Story with Jaime & Stan](https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-s-your-story-with-jaime-stan-7110537)
Published: 2026-02-24T21:20:00+00:00
Episode link: https://whats-your-story-d3c139ca.simplecast.com/episodes/what-happens-when-you-almost-die-underwater-the-lex-waters-story-zcows8hb
Audio file: https://cdn.simplecast.com/media/audio/transcoded/2cf9a4e7-0b86-463d-a543-4585c9c4fafc/190833c3-6b33-4f32-92ab-a8e1283f429b/episodes/audio/group/07a9fbb8-91c1-4dde-82b9-334ebcf9e2fb/group-item/8f81d1b3-201d-49f4-9ca0-a734b209b26e/128_default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=0LyGCa7N
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/what-s-your-story-with-jaime-stan-7110537/episodes/what-happens-when-you-almost-die-underwater-the-lex-waters-story
Duration seconds: 4067

## Resource

He drowned in a cave… and says it wasn’t his time. Meet Lex Waters — marine biologist, high school science teacher of 46 years, scuba instructor, and a man who experienced what he believes was a true near-death encounter deep underwater. Before he became a beloved educator and mentor, Lex made a diving mistake that nearly cost him his life. Trapped in a pitch-black underwater cave with almost no air left, he describes an out-of-body experience, a tunnel, voices welcoming him — and a message that sent him back. “It’s not his time yet.” From that moment on, every day has been a 10. In this powerful and unexpectedly funny conversation, Lex shares how growing up as the son of a Navy fighter pilot built resilience, how curiosity shaped his teaching philosophy, why he believes in always answering students’ questions, and how surviving that dive permanently changed his outlook on life. This episode blends adventure, faith, science, mentorship, and second chances — with a few treasure-hunting detours along the way. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you almost don’t make it… this conversation will stay with you.

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## Transcript

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